Of course, while I shared in his sentiments, my presence in the palace was so strained now that it was a miracle his parents hadn’t hired an assassin to execute me in the night.
I took a deep breath and put those worries to the side. Tonight, it was aboutmyfamily. Not Jax’s. Tonight, I would finally learn where I truly came from.
“What time’s Bastian arriving tomorrow?” I asked Jax.
He cocked his head. “His last dillemsill message said he and Anna will be arriving mid-morning.”
“But they’re staying with us, right?”
Jax grinned. “Yes, he finally told Anna who he really is, since he proposed, and she said yes.”
I laughed. Like Jax, I still hadn’t met Anna, so we were both looking forward to tomorrow, and I was dying to meet my future sister-in-law.
“Are you going to let Bastian pick out what glamour he wears this time?” Alec asked Bowan.
Bowan shrugged, his devious smile getting a sly smirk from Quinn. “I haven’t decided yet. Depends on if he lets me beat him instorggersor not.”
Alec chuckled, and even Lars sported a smile.
I’d never been to the infamous Ironcrest Ball before, but all week, the males had been talking about how many games were played at the huge outdoor event. Apparently, it was what most of them were looking forward to in the coming days. Well, that and the leminai tent.
The carriage finally pulled to a stop outside of a huge pavilion. The ball was in full swing outside, on the palace grounds of the king and queen of Ironcrest. The capital, Metalwick, gleamed in the distance, but here it was only rolling countryside, with the palace perched on the top of the highest hill.
The palace’s opulent structure was pure silver that gleamed in the sunlight. Magenta and burnt orange banners hung from every window. Flags flew, highlighting this kingdom’s colors, and at each flag’s center sat a six-pointed star, highlighting the six senses—sight, touch, taste, scent, sound, and magic. We’d truly arrived in the sensory kingdom, and the magic that wafted up from the land at the border had pulsed through me.
I gazed around, unable to stop my curious stare. Thousands upon thousands of fae dotted the land. My jaw dropped when I saw how many fae were already here. As was tradition, all four kingdoms were invited, and it didn’t matter if you weren’t a noble or royal. Commoners were also included, even if most couldn’t afford the travel expense to attend the grand event.
Still, my heart warmed to know that the royal family in Ironcrest wasn’t nearly as snobbish as Jax’s parents.
“What do you think she’s like?” I whispered to Jax as two attendants outside opened the carriage’s door and provided a stool so we could step down. We’d decided we would find my sister first, since the semelees had told me she’d be easier to find, before I looked for my father.
“If she’s halfway as lovely as you, I’m sure she’s marvelous,” he replied.
My hands were shaking when I stepped out of the carriage, and I feared my knees would give out.
Jax was instantly there, slipping an arm around my waist and holding me close.
I surveyed the surrounding landscape. The ball was swimming with so many fae that my heart fell. “How am I going to find her?”
But Jax just swept forward, pulling me with him. “We’ll find her. We’re not leaving until we do. Where did the semelees show you meeting her?”
My brow furrowed as I recalled the details they’d revealed in the two additional callings I’d done since last week as I peppered them with more questions. I’d not only gone to learn more about my family but to also fulfill a promise to Bastian that he’d hesitantly reminded me about.
The semelees confirmed that Bastian had never sired a child when he’d been under the anklet’s spell, and after telling me that, they’d also revealed further details about my sister. “It was near a table filled with food and drink. She was standing beside a large chocolate fountain, dipping fruit into the drizzling liquid. They said she would be there the first day, close to this time.”
“That’s easy enough. There can’t be that many chocolate fountains.”
But as my gaze scoured the hillside, my excitement dimmed. There were literally tens of thousands of fae present, and from what I could see, there were dozens upon dozens of food stands and banquet tables dotting the rolling countryside.
“We better split up.” Lander crossed his arms, gazing at the landscape.
Bowan scratched his head. “I was thinking the same. So everyone needs to find a chocolate fountain, then look for a female who looks slightly like Elowen but has golden hair. Remind me again, what was she wearing?”
I replied readily. “A silver gown. It’s shiny and refracts the light, as though it’s scattered with diamonds. At her ears, she’s wearing magenta earrings.”
“It sounds like a lovely gown befitting an Ironcrest fairy.” Saramel smiled at me and held Cassim at her hip, jostling the wee boy. The toddler had three fingers stuffed in his mouth that he removed intermittently in order to point at things.
Phillen stood just behind them, grinning as he stared down at his son. During the past week, as I’d spent more time with Phillen and his family, it’d become clear Phillen was absolutely smitten with his boy.
